The Good Shepard
by Bella Lenora Noctem
Summary: My take on the first manga from an OC's point of view.


The Reverend Eden Black

The Good Shepard

When the light hits me just right

It looks like I have a halo

But I'm no angel

Not by a long shot

My name it…

I forget, it's been so long since I've had anyone to talk to

I guess you can call me Anna

It's what my brother calls me

I think… I don't know if he's really my brother but oh well

He takes care of me sometimes

When he's not at the chapel

Playing with his new toy

She's so naïve

I wish he'd leave her alone

That kind of innocence doesn't exist anymore

Not in this world

All I know is

I have to get away

My brother is planning something

With some vampire lord

Something about the Vatican

And the humans repenting for their persecution of the fanged ones

I should be worried

But I'm not

I'm too weak to do much on my own

There's this odd hunger

In the back of my throat

The memory of something coppery and thick and warm

I can't quite put my finger on it

But I remember it

Like the memory of some ancient fine wine

Quenching a burning thirst

But that's not important right now

All that matters is escaping from this wretched place

This marble tomb

And stopping whatever they're planning

I'm waiting for my brother now

Shuffling the cards he gave me

Carefully

They're sharp

But it's not like I need them

Just something to do

Keep me occupied

I'm stronger now, the bigger fish so to speak

And now I'm waiting for him to come back

I have a feeling that he will not walk out of here alive

I will do my best to avoid that…

I can smell him now he's close

He's unlocking the door

I tackle him as soon as the door is wide enough to squeeze through

He screams as I sink elongated teeth into his throat

This was it

The wine I had craved

I only took a few gulps but it was enough

Enough to weaken him

Enough to harden my body

Enough to know who I needed to kill and, most importantly,

Who I was:

Peacekeeper Reverend Eden Black

First things first

Find the priest and the nun

They could help me…

Maybe

Or was it the other way around?

No matter

Either way they were bound to get tangled up in this mess

Whether I liked it or not

I decided it would be best to keep them as uninvolved as possible

How does one accomplish the impossible?

It seems the harder you try

The farther away it seems

I found the chapel

Brother is there

And the nun and the priest

Oh how I wish I had killed him earlier

Taken more blood

I'm weaker now

Oh Brother you fool

The vampire doesn't care about guns

Don't show it to him

He'll only take it from you before you have a chance to use it

Seconds pass

Brother has been removed from the game

Now it's only the nun

And that foolish priest!

Dear God forgive me for what I'm about to do

It is true

That you must do a little evil

To serve a greater good

The priest is stronger than I thought

But he's slow

Too slow to pull the vampire to pieces

But I'm not slow

And I _can_ kill him

Right before the killing strike

I grip his long dark hair

And pull him back

I can smell the blood

Under his marble skin

Yet he is not afraid

Not of me

Then again…

Ignorance it bliss

Is it not?

He tells me that he'll kill me if I do not release him

I tell him I do not fear Death

He says I should

How can I fear Death…

When I am the Reaper?

He never replies

Only a strangled gasp

His blood is better than Brother's

And I swallow every last drop

I don't need a mirror to know that

In the dim candlelight chapel

I glowed

Like some terrible saint

Haloed in the blackness

How I must appear

To my forgotten audience

Only the priest is conscious and alert

Those dark blue eyes

Shining with confusion, wonder,

And fear

I tell him to stay out of the way

That the Vatican should not be concerned

He gives the faintest of nods

I thought I was the only one

His words stop me dead

It doesn't matter priest

You'll never see me again

And that is my sincerest hope

Streetlamps and grave stones flash past me

If what I saw is true

I only have a few minutes

To get to the bishop before they attack

There she is

Watching over the nun from last night

Fates entwined I suppose

No matter

My only concern

Is their safety

Military

I can smell the freshly oiled guns and knives

And the leather of their belts and boots

Saints be damned, the priest too?

I have only seconds to reach them

Even less to get them all away

Safe

I have the bishop

And the nun

Tucked under an arm

Shielding them

The priest is over my shoulder

Doing his best to cling to me

I shift so he is on my back

Gun drawn

Smart man, my hands are tied

I can only wish that I could be the one shooting

I tell him to hold on

Like a child

His arms wrap around my neck

In a chokehold

But I'm not bothered

After all…

It's not like I really need the oxygen

Rooftop after rooftop

Files under my feet

Earning a surprised squeak from the priest

The nun clings tighter

I believe the bishop has fainted

I only wish the priest would do the same

I left the trio in a church on the other side of town

The priest simply bubbled with questions

One good hit

Was all it took

Out cold

And finally silent

A quick nod to the nun

And I left

Rooftops and taller buildings streaking past

As I fled the scene

I didn't want to be any more involved in this than I already was

All I wanted to do was find a place to rest

Tomorrow was the day

I moved in for the kill

Before I could rest

I had to hunt

Only the light of a few street lamps

Light the way

For a few straggling humans

Every so often

One will rush by in their haste

They don't like me

Their fear is like a long forgotten sweet

On my tongue

Despair and fear

Make the sweetest candies

But Hope sits better

The moon has finally risen

When I find

A safe place to rest

I doubt I'll be disturbed

So I drift off

The spoils of the hunt

Running through my veins

Taking even more of what was once human

I hear footsteps

A pair of boots

And pair of low heels

I pay it no mind

Until I catch the accompanying scent

Irritation makes my muscles tense

That damned priest

And that nun

Again

It would seem that God has a sense of humor after all

I let it go

Our goals are the same

All I can do now is complete my task

And keep them safe

At all costs


End file.
